cordless impact wrench - for car wheels

I'm looking to get a cordless impact wrench like this

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as am getting on a bit and changing wheels is not my favorite pastimes. Having said that I don't do it that often so don't need the all-singing version. As long as it works. They seem a damn sight easier than leaning on 1/2 bar extension anyway, but I've not actually used one. Can someone recommend a particilar make/model - or what I should look out for when getting one thx

Reply to
mike
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Madness Unless you are using it regularly, the battery will not survive due to too few charge/discharge cycles.

Reply to
Bob Minchin

Can't you get a man in or let a garage / tyre fitter do it?

Jacking the car up can be far more of a faff than undoing wheel nuts.

Reply to
The Other Mike

If it is just for changing wheels, a cordless type is pointless. Chances are the battery will be flat just when you need it.

There are 12v tools specifically for this job which run off the car battery. And quite a bit cheaper. I have one and it's very good - gets used for other things around the car too. Cost about 30 quid.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

They are nice tools, but for occasional use a cheap cordless one is probably not ideal unless you can find a way to cycle the batteries from time to time etc so they actually work when you need it.

A high end LiIon one will last better with occasional use - but they are silly money.

A 12V one that runs from the car battery would be a better bet.

Of if you have a compressor, then a pneumatic one is also cheap and effective.

(also worth noting, that if the nuts are really tight, you may find you still need a breaker bar to shift them)

Reply to
John Rumm

Ah - sounds good. What are these called? I can ebay then. I've seen them used to wind the screwjack up & down too. Hardly "madness". Saves a huge amount of work.

Reply to
mike

Yes I have good quality breaker bar. Also have a back injury so wheels on cars are a bit painful just now. It would be a damn sight easier with an impact wrench. Will look see if I can spot a battery driven one then.

Reply to
mike

ISTR that many years ago you could get a compressor/tyre inflator which connected to the engine. You replaced one of the spark plugs with a pneumatic hose and relied on the engine's compression to work the device. I don't know whether or not you filled your tyre with petrol/air mix... :-)

Reply to
Frank Erskine

mike has brought this to us :

If you struggle, just get one of those telescopic bars for the purpose. No batteries to go flat on you at a critical moment. Aldi/lidl have sold them for less than £10 and they work great.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Frank Erskine expressed precisely :

I had one back in the 1960's/70's, they worked well. ISFAIK, they drew are in on the piston down stroke via a valve in the plug part of the unit, then on the up stroke the valve closed and blew fresh air. The air never smelled of petrol.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

How long are they? I just use a 2 foot breaker bar.

Reply to
Clive George

There are mains powered ones:

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also the 12V ones mentioned before:

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Reply to
John Rumm

No you need one of these

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powered from the cars battery

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Reply to
Mark

Surely, lifting the wheel is far more painful than undoing the nuts?

Reply to
GB

The 12v one I have - special offer from Maplin ages ago - does something like 200 ft.lb It removed the crank pulley bolt on the SD1 which are notorious - and no need to lock the engine either.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Try impact wrench 1/2" 12v. But mine couldn't be used to wind a jack up and down. You put it on the nut and switch on. It then sort of runs up to speed and smites the nut. Not the same as a cordless impact driver.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

If you've got a bad back, lifting the wheel on and off - and out of the boot - is likely to be more difficult than undoing a nut. You can simply stand on the wheelbrace.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

At a guess, almost two foot when extended. Rather than a right angle, they are more than a 90%, so the arm clears the wheel. The socket is a double ended type fits my 17mm car and the caravan - I think 19mm. They make it surprisingly easy to undo the tight ones.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Very nice piece of kit - and available elsewhere at twice the price. The reversible socket is a clever idea - but sadly neither fitted my car. It is a standard 1/2" drive, though.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Rather than a cordless impact wrench you maybe need a set of runflat tyres and a subscription to a recovery service.

Reply to
The Other Mike

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